Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention is related generally to agricultural implements and more specifically to an improved apparatus and method for transferring agricultural seed or other particulate material from a principal storage site to individual material metering hoppers mounted on planters, grain drills and the like.
In the past, distribution of seed (or other particulate material such as fertilizer) for use in a variety of agricultural operations has been facilitated via a planter apparatus including a wheel supported carrier frame having a hitch for linking to a tractor or other prime mover, an implement bar mounted to the frame perpendicular to the transport direction and a plurality of row units (e.g., 8 to 32) mounted to and essentially equi-spaced along the length of the implement bar. Among other components, each row unit typically includes some type of seed bin that opens downwardly into a dispenser assembly and some type of soil agitator (e.g., a coulter or knife member) juxtaposed on the transport side of the dispenser. During transport through a field the agitator is forced through soil there below and forms a seed trench. As its label implies, the dispenser dispenses a pre-selected quantity of seed downward and behind the agitator into the trench.
The individual seed bins generally have limited storage capacity. For instance, many row unit seed bins are limited to between one and three bushel volumes. For this reason, these types of planter assemblies required frequent bin refilling. Unfortunately, seed filling stations (e.g., typically a barn or other storage unit) are typically stationary and therefore filling exercises often required a trip out of the fields back to a station and then a trip back to the fields to continue the seeding process. These filling trips increased the overall time required to plant fields. In addition to the round trip time required to refill bins, the refilling process itself was tedious as each separate row unit bin had to be filled during each filling exercise.
In an effort to reduce the number of seed refilling exercises required to seed a field, the industry has developed systems including one or more large seed reservoir hoppers mounted to the carrier frame that are transported along with the row units. A seed distribution system in which seed is conveyed from an equipment-mounted main hopper is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,473 (hereinafter the ""473 patent) which issued on Nov. 10, 1992 and which is assigned to Deere and Company. The ""473 patent utilizes a single main hopper which dispenses seed to a plurality of individual mini-hoppers that each, in turn, supply seed to an individual row unit. The seed is fed from the main hopper into each mini-hopper by entraining it in an air stream contained in separate, individual seed transfer hoses that are connected between the main tank and each of the individual mini-hoppers. To minimize costs, ideally, the mini-hoppers are designed to be as small as possible and to require as little material as possible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,706 (hereinafter xe2x80x9cthe ""706 patentxe2x80x9d) which issued on Jan. 10, 1995 and is assigned to Agco Corporation describes another seed transporting system which also utilizes a central storage hopper for supplying a plurality of smaller satellite hoppers via a plurality of individual hoses or tubes running from the central hopper to each of the individual row units. Thus, while the systems of the ""173 and ""706 patents provide for the maintenance of seed supply quantities in the row hoppers or bins during seeding operations, they also require the incorporation of a large number of separate seed transport tubes in those systems where multiple, mini-hoppers are present. As in the case of most mechanical systems, in the case of multiple mini hopper systems requiring separate feed tubes, costs associated with the additional seed delivery tubes and related components are appreciable.
To reduce seed delivery costs associated with multi-tube delivery systems, there have been attempts at configuring a delivery system including essentially a single seed delivery tube or manifold assembly for delivering seed to all or an appreciable number (e.g., half) of the row units. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,652 (hereinafter xe2x80x9cthe ""652 patentxe2x80x9d) which issued on Apr. 11, 2000 and which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, teaches a delivery system having a manifold assembly including a plurality of manifold sections and diverting structures that together form a single sinuous-shaped passageway that opens into each of four separate metering bins. A separate diverter structure is mounted generally above each of the metering bins. A supply duct is linked between the particulate source and the first diverting structure and a separate intermediate duct is mounted between each two adjacent diverting structures.
The source described in the ""652 patent includes a fan at the base of a main hopper that blows air through a head of seed and into a bottom end of the supply duct. Exemplary supply and intermediate ducts may be approximately 2 inches in diameter. Each diverting structure, as its label implies, diverts a portion of the air borne seed entering the structure downward through a tube and into an associated metering bin. Another portion of the seed entering each diverting structure is directed to a following manifold duct and hence to a subsequent diverting structure and corresponding metering bin.
The ""652 patent embodiment includes four separate manifold configurations fed by a single fan source where each manifold feeds four separate metering bins. Other configurations are contemplated. For instance, where the fan is powerful enough 6 or even 8 metering bins may be fed via a single manifold configuration.
According to the ""652 patent, the structure described operates as follows. With seed or some other particulate in a main hopper, when the air source is turned on, seed is entrained in the air and forced through the manifold assembly. As seed passes through the diverting structures some of the particulate is diverted into each of the metering bins. Eventually the bins fill with seed and the diverting structures become blocked. When one diverting structure becomes blocked, the air borne seed is delivered to other unblocked structures and, theoretically, there is a constant seed source provided to instantly refill the metering bins.
In reality, unfortunately, it has been found through empirical evidence that the ""652 patent assembly has at least two important shortcomings. First, when all of the diverter structures become blocked, particulate and air flow to the manifold assembly as a whole is blocked. When the manifold as a whole is blocked the seed in the manifold generally settles and is not air borne. Thereafter, when one or more of the diverter structures becomes unblocked via metered seed distribution, there is a delay period during which the manifold flow resumes when no seed is delivered to the unblocked structure. Where the metering bins are relatively small, the delay periods have been known to result the metering bins being emptied prior to manifold seed delivery. This is particularly true in the case of the row units that are farthest removed from the source. Even short periods of empty bins causes uneven distribution of seed material which is unacceptable in many applications.
Second, the air-seed source configuration used to deliver seed in the ""652 patent, it turns out, is not very efficient. To this end, generally, it has been determined that seeds can be transported satisfactorily with an air velocity of 5000 to 6000 feet per minute (FPM). With a 2 inch hose diameter, 5000 to 6000 FPM velocity translates into approximately 150 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air.
An exemplary fan employed in delivery experiments was designed to run at peak efficiency (approximately 48%) when it delivers approximately 1000 to 2000 CFM of air at a speed between 3450 and 6000 RPM.
Unfortunately, experiments have shown that, with the exemplary fan employed in the ""652 patent air-source configuration, the configuration was able to deliver seeds from a main hopper to 6 to 8 metering bins when the fan was running at around 5500 and 6000 RPM. In other words, with the ""652 patent configuration, instead of generating 2000 CFM of air at 6000 RPM, the fan running at 6000 RPM only generated approximately 140 CFM of air at the ends of the manifold duct and thus fan efficiency was less than 10%. This air volume loss is attributable in great part to imperfectly sealing duct and diverter connectors, the sinuous or curved configuration of the manifold and the pressure required to, in effect, blow through the head of seed that fills the bottom end of the main hopper.
Moreover, in the case of larger planter assemblies including more row units, for example, 32 row units, the fan employed in the experiments would not be able to deliver sufficient air pressure to meet delivery requirements.
One solution to the air pressure problem may be to employ a positive displacement blower instead of a fan to overcome all of the pressure losses in the manifold. Positive displacement blowers are well known in the pneumatics art and therefore will not be described here in detail. Unfortunately, while a positive displacement blower may overcome may be more efficient at providing required air pressure throughout a line, such blowers are relatively expensive and therefore are cost prohibitive in most applications.
Therefore, a need exists for a single manifold particulate delivery system that will not cause delay periods during which air borne particulate flow must be re-established. In addition, it would be advantageous to have a fan or air source configuration that is relatively inexpensive and yet extremely efficient.
It has been recognized that a venturi can be mounted between a fan and the supply duct of a manifold configuration with a main particulate hopper opening down wind of a restricted portion (i.e., the venturi orifice) of the venturi so that fan air supplied to the venturi creates a negative pressure at the orifice sufficient to draw particulate into the air stream and deliver the particulate to the manifold. As in the case of the ""652 patent, the venturi feeds a plurality of series connected metering bins to supply seed thereto. By using a venturi to draw seed into an air flow instead of requiring the fan to blow through a head of seed, an appreciably more efficient configuration is provided where the initial air pressure drop through the seed head is eliminated.
In one embodiment, the fan feeds a converter assembly that splits that fan air into a plurality of separate air streams in separate air hoses and each of the separate hoses feeds a separate venture which in turn feeds a plurality of series connected metering bins. In a particularly useful embodiment, the number of converter outlet hoses is selected by taking into account fan efficiency parameters and the CFM required through each of the venturi connected manifolds to efficiently deliver seed to the metering bins. To this end, as indicated above, the exemplary fan is most efficient when delivering between 1000 and 2000 CFM at speeds between 3450 and 6000 RPM and, for proper seed delivery through a 2 inch tube, approximately 140 CFM of air is required. Thus, where the converter includes eight separate outlet tubes, the combined CFM required for eight outlet tubes is 1120 CFM the fan runs within its peak efficiency range of 1000 to 2000 CFM. Other configurations within the peak range are contemplates.
After the number of converter outlets has been determined, the number of metering bins to be fed by each venturi can be determined by dividing the total number of row units required by the number of converter outlets. For example, where 32 row units are required and the converter has eight outlets, the number of row units fed by each outlet, venturi and manifold configuration is four. It should also be noted that where only four units are fed by each venturi the pressure drop through the manifold linked to the venturi will be less than where more units are fed and thus efficiency is enhanced in this manner as well.
Unfortunately, as in the case of the ""652 patent configuration, the venturi configuration described above can result in delay period problems when diverter structures become blocked. In addition, where the main hopper opens downward into the venturi, when diverter structures become blocked, seed from the main hopper can fill a large portion of the venturi cavity and create a seed head. In this case, where a converter splits fan air into fractional CFM, the air pressure is often too small to overcome the seed head or may require even a longer delay period to push through a seed head.
It has been recognized that the problems described above and related to delay periods during which air borne particulate flow must be re-established can be overcome by simply providing a return manifold duct or the like between the last in a series of diverter structures and the particulate hopper or air source. By providing a return passageway that remains unobstructed at all times, even when all of the diverter structure openings into the metering bins become blocked, the air borne particulate flow continues through the return passageway and is constant. Thus, when one or more of the diverter structures re-opens, particulate within the flow is immediately present to fill the metering bin there below.
In addition, it has been recognized that the venturi can be designed to minimize or essentially eliminate the possibility of building up a seed head when all of the diverter structure openings become blocked. To this end, by having the hopper open into a side or the underside of the venturi, the seed can be prevented from filling and blocking the cavity while still providing a seed source at the hopper-venturi opening that can be sucked and entrained into the flowing venturi air. Some embodiments include each of the venturi concepts as well as the return duct concept described above.
Consistent with the above discussion, the present invention includes an apparatus for pneumatically transporting particulate material from a main hopper to at least a first mini-hopper sub-set, the apparatus comprising a forced air source having a fan outlet, a venturi mounted generally below the main hopper, the venturi forming a venturi passageway between an air inlet and a venturi outlet, the passageway including a restricted section between the inlet and the venturi outlet such that, when air is forced there through, the restricted section causes a vacuum at a vacuum point downstream of the restricted section, the venturi also forming a particulate inlet proximate the vacuum point, the particulate inlet linked to the hopper for receiving particulate there from and the air inlet linked to the air source and at least one manifold assembly that links the venturi outlet to the first mini-hopper sub-set.
In some embodiments the particulate inlet opens into the passageway from above. In other embodiments the particulate inlet opens into the passageway from below. In still other embodiments the particulate inlet opens into a lateral side of the passageway.
In some applications the apparatus is for, in addition to delivering particulate to the first mini-hopper sub-set, delivering particulate to Nxe2x88x921 additional mini-hopper sub-sets, in addition to the at least one venturi and the at least one manifold assembly, the apparatus further including at least Nxe2x88x921 additional venturis and Nxe2x88x921 additional manifold assemblies, the Nxe2x88x921 venturis mounted generally below the main hopper and having a design similar to that of the first venturi, the Nxe2x88x921 venturi air inlets linked to the air source and the Nxe2x88x921 venturi particulate inlets linked to the hopper for receiving particulate there from, each of the Nxe2x88x921 manifold assemblies linking a separate one of the Nxe2x88x921 venturi outlets to a separate one of the Nxe2x88x921 mini-hopper sub-set.
Here, the apparatus may further include a converter linked to the air source via a single air duct and including N separate converter outlet ducts, each outlet duct linked to a separate one of the N venturis, the converter dividing the air flow received form the air source approximately evenly among the N outlet ducts. More specifically, the mini-hoppers may include X mini-hoppers and each sub-set may includes X/N mini-hoppers. In a particular embodiment X is 32 and N is 8.
In some embodiments the manifold assembly forms a manifold passageway linked at an inlet end to the venturi outlet and having openings along its length that open into the mini-hoppers in the sub-set. Here, the manifold passageway may be sinuous where the openings are vertically lower than the manifold passageway sections there between. More specifically, the sub-set may include Y series linked mini-hoppers and the manifold may include diverter structures for each of the first Yxe2x88x921 mini-hoppers in the sub-set and a plurality of manifold ducts including a supply duct and intermediate ducts, each diverter structure having an inlet and first and second outlets, the supply duct linking the venturi outlet to the inlet of a first diverter structure, a separate intermediate duct linking the outlet of a preceding diverter structure to the inlet of a following diverter structure for the second through (Yxe2x88x921)st diverter structures, an intermediate duct linking the outlet of the (Yxe2x88x921)st diverter structure to the Yth mini-hopper and the second outlets of each of the diverter structures opening into separate ones of the mini-hoppers. The end of the manifold passageway may open into the main hopper.
Moreover, the invention further includes an apparatus for pneumatically transporting particulate material from a main hopper to at least N mini-hopper sub-sets, the apparatus comprising a forced air source having a fan outlet, a converter operably linked to the air source to receive forced air there from and to split the received air flow into N separate air flows through N separate converter outlet lines, N venturis mounted generally below the main hopper, each venturi forming a venturi passageway between an air inlet and a venturi outlet, each passageway including a restricted section between the inlet and the venturi outlet such that, when air is forced there through, the restricted section causes a vacuum at a vacuum point downstream of the restricted section, each venturi also forming a particulate inlet proximate the vacuum point, the particulate inlets linked to the hopper for receiving particulate there from and each air inlet linked to a separate one of the converter outlets and N manifold assemblies, each manifold assembly linking a separate one of the venturi outlets to a separate one of the N mini-hopper sub-sets.
Again, here, each manifold assembly may form a manifold passageway linked at an inlet end to a corresponding venturi outlet and having openings along its length that open into the mini-hoppers in a corresponding sub-set and, wherein, the ends of the manifold passageways open into the main hopper.
These and other objects, advantages and aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. Such embodiment does not necessarily represent the full scope of the invention and reference is made therefore, to the claims herein for interpreting the scope of the invention.